The mystery surrounding a federal raid on state Sen. Raphael J. Musto's home and the subsequent seizure of Pittston Township building permits twisted toward clarity Wednesday as the township released documents tying the lawmaker to $40,000 worth of home renovations conducted by the construction wing of Luzerne County corruption figure Robert K. Mericle's real estate empire.

Mericle's firm, Mericle Construction, obtained building permits in February and May 2006 to perform $5,200 worth of roof repairs and $34,800 remodeling work on a Bryden Street home that has been in Musto's family for more than a half-century. Musto, who inherited the property from his father in 1970, transferred ownership to his son, Raphael J. Musto Jr., in August 2006.

The property, rezoned from residential to commercial following the construction, now serves as an office for Musto Jr.'s physical therapy practice, Physical Therapy Center Unlimited.

Federal agents armed with a grand jury subpoena seized building permits and other documents from the Pittston Township municipal offices last week, according to township officials. The agents demanded "all documents, including but not limited to, zoning permits, drawings and building permits" associated with the Musto-owned property, 65 Bryden St., the subpoena said.

Sen. Musto did not return telephone messages Tuesday and Wednesday. His wife, Frances, answered the door at their home, a block from the Bryden Street property, but said he "isn't around." When told a reporter wanted to discuss the documents linking him to Mericle, she said, "he doesn't want to talk to anybody."

Musto had been talkative after federal agents spent more than two hours searching his home April 8. The agents removed three trash bags of evidence from the house and a satellite radio from his car, but Musto, a member of the state Senate for 27 years, denied any wrongdoing.

He theorized the agents, who came with a search warrant, were acting on information provided that emerged in the ongoing corruption investigation, which has led to charges against more than two dozen public officials, including judges, county commissioners and business leaders like Mericle.

"I stepped on a lot of big toes over the years," the 81-year-old Democrat told reporters at the time. "I wouldn't be surprised if someone called the FBI and said, 'Hey, we should take a look at whatever.' That's the kind of business we're in."

An FBI spokesman declined to comment on the developments in the investigation Wednesday. It remained unclear who paid for the repairs to the Bryden Street property and whether Musto committed any wrongdoing.

In addition to the construction ties, Mericle has been a major backer of Musto's re-election bids, contributing $33,750 to his campaign committee over the last decade, according to state records.

Mericle could not be reached for comment Wednesday. His attorneys and a spokesman for his company, Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services, did not return telephone and e-mail messages. Musto Jr.'s physical therapy office was locked Wednesday evening and no one answered the door at his Hughestown home.

Mericle, the developer of the massive Centerpoint Commerce and Trade Park in Pittston Township, has been cooperating with federal investigators since pleading guilty last September to failing to report a felony in an ongoing corruption probe that has led to the arrest of more than two-dozen public officials, including judges and county commissioners.

Mericle admitted paying former judges Michael T. Conahan and Mark A. Ciavarella a $2 million "finder's fee" for their help in winning his company contracts to build two for-profit juvenile detention centers, including one in Pittston Township, but pleaded guilty to failing to report the judge's crimes to the authorities.

Mericle faces up to three years in prison, but is likely to serve less than a year or receive a sentence of probation under the terms of his plea agreement.

msisak@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2061

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Since it was only a few years ago, why doesn't the good Senator simply show the public a copy of the cancelled check that he used to pay for the work. I know he is innocent until proven guilty, but he is also a public figure he really needs to get ahead of this situation especially with everything else that is going on.